After Flora and Linko left, Lisette ascended the Clock Tower of Dorun City, gazing out over the entire city.
Her eyes never left the two of them until they stopped at the square and sat down on a bench to chat.
Only then did the sixteen-year-old girl look away and whisper softly:
“Father says that leaving the Imperial Palace and immersing myself in the lives of the common people is a good thing, and something I must do. To interact with other noble children—to learn from them, understand them, and surpass them—is a skill I have to master.
Liz, how do you think I’m doing?
Do you think coming to a city like this and meeting such extraordinary people will bring me more growth?”
Her voice held a rare wistfulness not often heard among her peers.
The court guard she called Liz pondered for a moment before replying:
“Your Majesty, you don’t want to be troubled by unimportant matters. If you think dealing with Lord Moriah will be troublesome, you could always…”
“Shh.”
Before Liz could finish, Lisette silenced her with a finger to her lips.
Liz closed her mouth in resignation.
As her attendant, Liz knew better than anyone that this princess she served did not enjoy her current power and status.
But to speak out in such matters would be nothing less than overstepping her bounds.
Lisette did not expect to get the answers she wanted from Liz anyway; she simply needed someone to listen to her ramblings.
She turned her gaze toward the staircase and sank into thought.
Duke Delan was the empire’s most powerful duke.
The Delan family he represented was the noblest and most feared by the royal family.
Naturally, Moriah, the eldest daughter of the Delan house, had become a focal point of royal attention.
The recent commotion over holding a ceremony to elevate a commoner to nobility was the official reason the emperor sent his daughter to attend the banquet—to find out what exactly this woman was up to.
That was the surface explanation.
But in truth, there were deeper reasons.
Lisette was troubled by those reasons.
Her father often used Moriah as an example to educate her, hoping she would become like that ruthless woman—decisive, harsh, and possessing the iron fist needed to rule.
Sending her to interact with Moriah was meant to let her learn those traits firsthand.
Lisette was indifferent to such matters, and being tasked with it only deepened a lingering question in her heart.
[What exactly were my brothers thinking, handing the line of succession to me? If they truly favored me, there’d be no need to do this. Could it be that in men’s eyes, the most precious thing is power and status? Giving me that means they cherish me as a sister?]
Lacking a strong desire for power and without the ambition to be a ruler over all, she could not refuse such responsibility.
Perhaps her father and brothers intended to turn her into a symbol, or perhaps there were other motives beyond her understanding.
For this reason, she had never been very enthusiastic about bearing the burden of crown princess.
But this time, she was somewhat more willing to engage with Moriah, who had always kept her at arm’s length, because as she grew older, she increasingly envied the freedom that Moriah enjoyed as a direct heir within the highest nobility.
As a noble heiress, Moriah could leave her family behind to pursue adventures and make a name for herself through her own efforts—without relying on her father’s influence—and rapidly become the most promising young heir of the Delan family.
Such a story was envied not only by Lisette but by other noble youths as well.
Lisette was eager to learn more about Emerald Heart, the adventurer team formed by noble daughters, at this banquet.
Everything else was secondary.
Of course, Flora Emerald and matters related to Fros were also on her mind; these were the main connections to her father’s task, and she had to keep an eye on them.
Just two days ago, Moriah had even taken the initiative to write her a letter, specifically mentioning that blue-haired sister.
She said she hoped Lisette would meet Flora before further talks, and had even arranged for their encounter that very morning.
Lisette was puzzled.
But out of respect and for the sake of future communication, she agreed.
Beforehand, she had also gathered some intelligence through her own means, piquing her interest in the mysterious Miss Flora.
[Someone who could render my mind-reading useless without using any anti-mental penetration magic, and who could make Moriah so invested in organizing a noble promotion ceremony—how could I not be interested?]
She understood clearly that either this was a challenge Moriah had set for her—a game of wits between nobles—or Moriah simply wanted to spark her curiosity about Flora to achieve some ulterior purpose.
Whichever it was, the often bored princess was willing to accept and even enjoy it.
Just as she thought this, another court guard approached her.
“Your Highness, they haven’t moved from the square since they arrived. The closest distance we can approach without being noticed is fifty meters. Eavesdropping on their conversation isn’t possible.”
“Hm, as expected.”
Lisette replied nonchalantly.
She was in no rush to investigate Flora by other means.
After all, Moriah had only asked her to meet this person once; she could learn more during the formal talks with that wretched woman later.
Everything that needed doing was done; now she would proceed at her own pace.
She looked at her two attendants.
“Rocale, you and Liz hide nearby. I want to have a proper talk with this supplier lady.”
“Understood.”
The two obeyed, disappearing from sight.
Meanwhile, Meifei, tied up and trembling in a corner at the top of the Clock Tower, quickly regained her senses.
But even after the blindfold was removed, she could not relax in the presence of a single young girl who appeared kind, with no other fierce-looking captors around.
She had been captured for eight hours.
The prolonged loss of awareness had been a terrible torment to her mind and body as an ordinary commoner.
Worse still, before being tied up, she had endured the most distressing event.
Just last night, she had argued with the person she respected most.
Her father, whom she regarded as a role model, had used her signature without her knowledge to write a false accusation against Fros.
Throughout her upbringing, he had always taught her that business relied on trust and friendship.
Only by protecting the bonds with partners could one create greater profit.
When friends needed help, even if one could not provide it, one should at least refrain from betraying them.
Yet now, her father’s actions not only contradicted those teachings but went further, using Fros to secure the backing of Duke Delan for the Rusty Gold Trading Company.
She could not accept this.
Moreover, her father had insisted:
“I’m doing this for your own good. You’re my only daughter. I can’t let him harm you!”
It felt like selling his own daughter into a brothel while insisting he was in the right.
Meifei increasingly felt her once-familiar family had become strangers—cold and heartless as those terrible business partners.
She did not believe this was the true face of the adult world.
She wanted to ask him whether, if the company’s interests demanded sacrificing his own daughter, would he do the same again.
Before she could, Old Farland showed his cruelty once more.
“Besides, I’ve investigated. That kid was already found by the Emerald Heart people. Such news is meant to make us distance ourselves quickly…”
Meifei had no desire to hear more; she slammed the door and went out for some fresh air.
Who would have thought she would be abducted the moment she stepped outside?
During those long eight hours, the supplier lady repeatedly wondered:
Could it have been the Emerald Heart team?
Was the Rusty Gold Trading Company already under their surveillance?
Had she failed to obey her father’s plan, prompting the duke’s daughter to silence her by the simplest means—to ensure Fros was framed?
Anxiety, fear, and worry kept her restless to the point of constant dry heaving now that her senses were restored.
“They went too far, making you think such things. I apologize for their rough methods.”
With a sincere expression, the young girl who personally untied her offered some comfort to Meifei.
Though she knew the person before her was the mastermind behind her kidnapping, her attitude and disarmingly gentle appearance made it hard for Meifei to remain on guard.
And after being freed, the girl introduced herself in a way that nearly made Meifei faint.
“Let’s keep it simple. I’m Lisette von Camia. You’ve probably heard my name. I’m telling you this so you can stay calm.”